..... of an affliction so severe that it significantly restricts a person’s ability to function fully, a crater in the mind so deep that no one can responsibly suggest it would surely go away if those victims would just square their shoulders and think more positively.....
Jeffrey R. Holland

Monday, November 25, 2013

Conversations, What a Difference Some Words Make

Today

Barbara: Hi Jane, How are you? You look a little sad, Is everything alright?

Jane: Oh, it's my fibromyalgia, it's acting up.

Barbara: I'm so sorry, my mother had fibromyalgia and I know it is painful. Is there anything I can do?
Jane: No, I don't think so. Sometimes it so painful, it's hard to function.

Jane: Barbara thank you for your concern, Sometimes just talking about it with someone who cares, makes it easier to bear.

This dialog could be repeated over and over again, with different people, with different personal physical complaints.

Jane could have had an accident and broke a bone, or just been to the doctor and found out she is diabetic or has a malignant tumor. This conversation is repeated over and over. It wouldn't matter if Barbara was the Principle of the school where Jane work. If that were case Barbara would have said something like: Please remember Jane you have sick leave, please use them whenever it's necessary. And above all don't worry about your job.

Future

Dave: John, how are you? you look a little down.

John: Yes, I am having trouble with the deep crater in my mind.

Dave: I am so sorry. Have you been to the doctor? I understand that medication can help. Is it MMD? I think that means Major Depressive Disorder.

John: Yes it is, And you know, it hasn't been too long ago, that if you had asked about how I felt, I would have said that I was Depressed, or maybe say nothing, because, I didn't know of a way to express what I was going through. The normal response to telling someone that you were depressed was, "Ok! you'll get over it. I always do." Or the boss might say: "Come on, show some backbone, Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. and then with a chuckle, Everyone has to pull their load."

Dave: Yea I know, I might not have said anything, but I would sure think it.

John: It seems a marvel to me that this change in understanding could ever happen. You asked about Medication, I am now going through the phase where different medication is tried. The Doctor said, There is a good number of medications that we know will help, But knowing which combination, is the problem, because MMD is a little different in each person.

So I try a pill to see if it makes any difference in how I feel. If it doesn't I stop taking that pill and try a different kind. It's kind of a guessing came. Trying different pill combinations until the right one is found combination is found.

Dave: That sounds like it might take some time.

John: Yes it does. I have a friend who has had MMD for 14 years. He said the finding of the right combination started in 1999 until just recently, here in 2013.

Dave: Gemanetly, how did he survive? You mean finding the right pills might take years until you are better? Do the doctors know what causes MMD?

John: Yes, there can be several causes. He says that mine is a chemical problem in the brain.

Dave: Chemical, I would have never thought, Can you explain it to me?

John: Yes I probably could but I think I'll let you read about it on this card that I carry.

At the most basic level, nobody really knows what causes depression. The dominant theory is that it is a result of low levels of certain neurotransmitters (messenger chemicals that carry signals from one nerve cell to the next) in the brain. This is called the 'monoamine theory' of depression — monoamines being the group of chemicals that these neurotransmitters belong to. The neurotransmitters thought to be involved are serotonin (which helps regulate emotion, sleep and appetite), noradrenaline (which is linked to arousal and alertness), and dopamine (which is associated with pleasure and reward). People with depression are known to have lower brain levels of these chemicals, and drugs that elevate them can help lift mood.

So the theory makes sense. But it is not known for sure whether monoamines are the primary cause of depression, or whether other factors are causing both the lowered neurotransmitter levels and the depression. William Styron

John: I had to read it twice and really concentrate before I understood it. That is really interesting, I had no idea. So it's something like the pancreas not working correctly and causing Diabetes. My Uncle is a diabetic, and they explained about the pancreas.

John: There are other problems caused by misunderstanding my problem. The world just used the word Depression. It causes a lot of problems because doesn't spell it out. To most depression means, a down day. You know like, coming home and finding a letter from the IRS.

Dave: Yea that would depress anyone.

John: Well, that kind of Depression is not MDD. It's the type that you get over.